Big Crowds, Extreme Humidity, Visitors Face Suffocation Risk At Rath Yatra

In a tragic incident, one person died due to suffocation while several others sustained injuries in a stampede-like situation during the pulling of chariots in Rath Yatra at Puri on Sunday, officials said.

According to sources, several other devotees were injured in the incident while some of them are reportedly critical. They are currently undergoing treatment at the Puri district hospital.

"The chariot of Lord Balabhadra had moved ahead a little when suddenly the crowd increased outside the security cordon. Meanwhile, we saw the elderly deceased fall on the ground in the crowd. We immediately rescued him and brought him to the hospital in the ambulance. We also administered CPR to him in the ambulance on the way to hospital. I gave CPR all along and the doctor also tried hard to save him at the hospital but later pronounced him dead. From a call received on the deceased's mobile which is with us, we came to know his name and he belonged to Balangir district," said a volunteer working in St John Ambulance.

The administration identified the victim as Lalit Bagarti from Saintala in Balangir district. Expressing deep grief on the death of a devotee during Rath Yatra, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh for his family.

A similar stampede-like situation also occurred during the pulling of Nandighosh Rath, the chariot of Lord Jagannath.

Sources also said that due to extremely humid conditions in the holy city and the huge gathering, more than 300 persons were admitted to hospitals after feeling uneasy during the Rath Yatra till evening on Sunday.

Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, and Health Secretary Shalini Pandit also visited the hospitals and enquired about the health condition of the injured persons undergoing treatment.

The pulling of chariots was stopped on Sunday evening after they rolled a short distance and will be resumed on Monday. The state government had earlier declared July 8 as a holiday keeping in view the continuing pulling of chariots.

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